Office
for Black Catholics Men’s Day of Reflection\, Saturday\, February 24\, 20
18\, 8:00am-5:00pm\, Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception\, N
orfolk. The day will be led by Keynote Speaker Deacon James Turner\, Archd
iocese of Louisville\, Guest Speakers: Deacons Calvin Bailey\, Frank Nelso
n and Charles Williams\; Mario Dance. Come together as Brothers in Christ
to spend a day of faith sharing and fellowship.

The Office for Black Catholics Kujenga Weekend Experience wi
ll be held March 10-12\, 2017 at the Roslyn Retreat Center\, 8727 River Ro
ad\, Richmond. The purpose for this program is to empower our young Black
Catholic leaders of the Church to build their leadership skills and instil
l confidence in their faith. Kujenga is Swahili for “to build”. The weeken
d is designed for youth\, rising Freshmen-Seniors in high school\, and wil
l include mass\, leadership development\, fun\, food and faith sharing. It
will instill confidence\, help define their purpose in life and in the ch
urch\, and reinforce their call to be disciples of Christ. Cost: $125 incl
udes lodging\, meals and supplies. Registration deadline: February 28. Lim
ited financial assistance is available.

The Office fo
r Black Catholics presents their first Black Catholic Leadership Awards Ba
nquet. The purpose of this event is to recognize the contributions of pers
ons who have provided strong and effective leadership and service in the B
lack Catholic Community. Funds raised for this event are given in the form
of scholarships to assist Black Catholic Youth in continuing their Cathol
ic Education.

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The Acacia Award recognizes an individual for their
years of service\, support and fidelity to the Black Catholic Community. T
he Acacia Award is taken from the Acacia Tree which is native to Africa. I
t is mentioned in the Bible in the book of Exodus and Isaiah. The wood of
the tree was used to build the Ark of the Covenant. It is known for provid
ing protection\, food and shelter in many African societies because of its
resilience to the environmental condition.

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The Saint Katharine Dr
exel Award recognizes an adult individual who exhibits a high level of com
mitment to his/her faith in the Black Catholic Community. The individual d
emonstrates leadership in serving the Black Catholic Community. They dedic
ate their time and talents to bring an awareness of the presence of Christ
in their parish and community.

The Diocese of Richmond’s Office of Social Ministries is excite
d to bring back Shine: Social Ministry Summit\, 2017. This is a two-day event that invites ​you ​to ​enter ​more
​deeply ​into ​the ​heart ​of ​the ​Gospel by engaging in works of mercy
while ​serving ​the ​Lord ​and ​the ​’least ​of ​His ​brethren.’ We extend
an invitation to all parishioners who are interested in the social missio
n of the Church. Some keynote speakers include Bob Lesnefsky (founder of D
irty Vagabond Ministries)\, the Missionaries of the Poor from Jamaica\, an
d Fr. Michael Renninger\, pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Richmond
.

Please join the Dioces
e of Richmond Office of Asian Ministry as we join other pilgrims from acro
ss the nation to the annual Asians for Mary Pilgrimage at the Basilica of
the National Shrine in Washington\, D.C. If you’d like to travel by bus fo
r a nominal fee please click on the event website link above to register o
nline. Buses will depart from St. Andrews in Roanoke\, St. Gregory the Gre
at in Virginia Beach and the Pastoral Center in Richmond. Light snacks wil
l be provided. Seating is limited!

Our theme this year is
focused on soul care and how to maintain or recover the life and health o
f your soul. This weekend experience will empower\, equip and inspire you
to go deeper into your current relationship with God and to focus on havin
g an authentic relationship with God\, yourself and others.

The Office of Asian Min
istry invites youth – grades 8th to freshman in college to join us for a f
aith filled weekend with talks\, reflection\, small group discussion\, and
fun activities. This year’s theme\, “Fruit of the Spirit”\, will empower
our youth to imitate the life of Christ through the fruits of the Holy Spi
rit.

Plea
se fill out the Medical forms below for Youths and Adults and send to the
Office of Asian Ministry by email at asianministry@richmonddiocese.org or
mail to Catholic Diocese of Richmond/ 7800 Carousel Lane\, Richmond\, VA 2
3294. Attn: OAM

Brothers and Sisters\, Strangers No More. This year’s theme
stresses the importance of our relationship with God and others. Love of G
od and love of neighbor is at the heart of the Ten Commandments. Bishop Ch
eri will inspire and encourage us as disciples to not only reflect on our
current relationships but the obligation we have to one another united in
Christ. OBC_Annual_Retreat_2017

Simbang Gabi is a novena of mass
es that expresses the love of the people for God through our Blessed Mothe
r Mary. We gather for nine consecutive days of prayer in anticipation of t
he birth of Christ. We will kick off the novena at the Church of Redeemer
on Saturday\, December 9. The novena starts Friday\, December 15 and ends
Saturday\, December 23. Come join us on this inspirational pilgrimage.

The Four Win
ds of Richmond Kateri Circle is an intertribal group whose purpose is to p
romote Native American Spirituality within the Catholic Church. Under the
guidance of the Diocese of Richmond we are affiliated with the Tekakwitha
Conference\, an organization that advocates for peace and justice in Indig
enous Communities. If you are Native American\, come from a family of Nati
ve American Heritage\, and/or are interested in working with this ministry
you’re invited to join us as we gather to promote and support our Native
American brothers and sisters. See links below for more information about
what the United States Catholic Bishops have to say about ministry to our
Native American brothers and sisters!

The Kujenga Weekend is
an experience for our African American Youth\, rising Freshmen to Senior
in High School\, to build upon their leadership skills. The structure of t
he weekend challenges the participants to go deeper into their faith and h
elp them understand the importance of their participation in the church an
d community. The relevant topics include community involvement\, study\, e
vangelization and relationships. For more information\, please visit the <
a href='https://richmonddiocese.org/office/office-for-black-catholics/'>Of
fice for Black Catholics

This year’s theme\, “T
he Black Family: Share the Journey”\, presents a wonderful opportunity to
share in the story of a resilient and vibrant community. Dr. Kathleen Dors
ey Bellow\, guest speaker. Lunch will be provided.

All are invited
to attend the 16th Annual Asian and Pacific Island Catholics Marian Pilgr
image to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
on Saturday\, May 5\, 2018. If you’d like to travel by bus with other pilg
rims please click he
re to register. Cost: $25\, depart from the Pastoral Center at 7:00am\
; $30\, depart from St. Gregory the Great at 7:30am.

Are you looking to be
inspired\, informed and invigorated? This one day conference is designed t
o empower and equip you with all aspects of evangelization\; personal and
public. Our dynamic speakers will cover topics that include evangelization
\, youth and young adult ministry\, marriage and family life\, adult forma
tion and life and dignity of the human person. And of course\, good food!
Guest speakers and presenters include: Bishop Martin D. Holley\, Fr. Mauri
ce Emelu\, Dr. Diana Hayes\, Valimar Jansen. A full listing of presenters
and workshop titles will be available shortly. Register now!

“For the brother and sister of our Brother Jesus Christ are brother
and sister to us.” Brothers and Sisters to Us\, U.S. Catholic Bi
shops\, 1979

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Please join the Office for Black Catholics (OBC) and
the Office of Social Ministries (OSM) for our monthly “Rosary for Racial J
ustice and Reconciliation”. OBC and OSM will be hosting these monthly rosa
ries throughout 2018. This rosary is meant to aid in our efforts toward ra
cial harmony through prayer\, the first step in addressing and eliminating
the sin of racism that wounds the family of God. To join via teleconferen
ce: (844) 572-5683\, ext. 4828689.

“Know Yourself to Share Yoursel
f”

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The 15th Annual N
ational Black Catholic Men’s Conference provides a forum for African Ameri
can males and youth to discern the critical issues and challenges facing t
hem in the community. It also provides an environment of mentorship and su
pport for those seeking a vocation in priesthood\, brotherhood and the dia
conate.

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond has t
he honor of inviting Father Kenneth Gaddy C.Ss.R from the Archdiocese of B
altimore to be our keynote speaker for this talk. He will dive into the hi
story of the Redemptorist priests in the Diocese of Richmond and their wor
k\, impact and accomplishments with Black Catholics. We will also have foo
d and live music! All are welcome!

Come join us and come togeth
er as a community and share the joy of the Gospel. An evenin
g of spiritual encounter and entertainment not to be missed! This event is
for unmarried young adults ages 18-35.

Richmond Sla
ve Trail is a walking trail that chronicles the history of the trade of en
slaved Africans from Africa to Virginia until 1775\, and away from Virgini
a\, especially Richmond\, to other locations in the Americas until 1865.
p>\n

It begins at Manchester Docks\, a major port in the massive downriv
er Slave Trade that made Richmond the largest source of enslaved Africans
on the east coast of America from 1830 to 1860. The trail then follows a r
oute through the slave markets of Richmond\, beside the Reconciliation Sta
tue commemorating the international triangular slave trade\, past Lumpkin’
s Slave Jail and the Negro Burial Ground to First African Baptist Church\,
a center of African-American life in pre-Civil War Richmond. (virginia.o
rg website)

We would like
to invite you to our Culture & Faith (Celebrating Asian Catholics). Thro
ugh this event\, we strive to welcome all ethnic groups to our diocese and
take time to get to know each other and our diverse cultures. Culture & F
aith will be an evening of reflection\, worship and fellowship. Through pr
ayer\, music and traditional dance\, we would like to promote a greater un
derstanding of diversity while encouraging conversations that will help us
learn about our commonalities. We invite you to come dressed in your trad
itional attire and bring a cultural cuisine to share. Join us in celebrat
ing how these intangible things add to the uniqueness of individuals and a
dd strength to our communities. This event is open to all cultures and com
munities. There is no fee for this event but we do ask that you please re
gister. Register Today! Looking forward in experien
cing this encounter with you!

We would like to invite you to our Culture &
Faith Event (Celebrating Asian Catholics). There will be two different da
tes and locations for you to chose whichever is more convenient to you. Th
rough this event\, we strive to welcome all ethnic groups to our diocese a
nd take time to get to know each other and our diverse cultures. Culture &
Faith will be an evening of reflection\, worship and fellowship. Through
prayer\, music and traditional dance\, we would like to promote a greater
understanding of diversity while encouraging conversations that will help
us learn about our commonalities. We invite you to come dressed in your tr
aditional attire and bring a cultural cuisine to share. Join us in celebr
ating how these intangible things add to the uniqueness of individuals and
add strength to our communities. This event is open to all cultures and c
ommunities. There is no fee for this event but we do ask that you please
register. Looking
forward in experiencing this encounter with you! Registration coming soo
n!